The incidence of obesity is rapidly increasing in industrialized countries and methods and procedures to control the weight of obese individuals is receiving ever increasing attention. In addition to diets and other lifestyle changes, aggressive medical procedures are available to limit caloric intake. Many procedures limit the amount of food digested by, for example, blocking or bypassing portions of the gastro intestinal (GI) tract. Other procedures focus on generating feelings of satiety after ingestion of reduced quantities of food.
One such treatment involves placing a filler material within the stomach, often through the esophagus. The filler material takes up room in the stomach, generating a feeling of satiety and reducing the desire to eat. The material also restricts and slows the passage of food through the stomach into the intestines, extending the duration of the feeling of satiety and the reduced desire to eat.
One type of filler includes gas filled bubbles which float upward and apply pressure on the greater curvature of the stomach wall. This pressure is sensed by baro-receptors in the greater curvature which send a signal to the brain indicating that the stomach is full. Fluid filled and other non-floating filling devices apply a downward force to the stomach wall which also generates feelings of satiety.